Often grown as annuals, Petunias are one of the most popular flowers. They are tender perennials in Zones 9 to 11.
Petunias are divided into two different groups:
- Grandiflora petunias have very large flowers and are best grown in containers or hanging baskets (because they are more susceptible to rain damage).
- Multiflora petunias have smaller, but more abundant flowers and are ideal for summer bedding or in a mixed border (because they are more tolerant to wet weather).
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Hi - My petunias were
Hi - My petunias were flowering beautifully, but suddenly, a blossom will start, then shrivel and die before opening. What am I doing wrong?
Usually petunias shrivel
Usually petunias shrivel because they are too wet. If you just bought the plants, they may already have root rot. You can gentle remove the root ball take a look. Petunias thrive on neglect and do not like wet feet.
does the seeds have to be
does the seeds have to be dryed before planting or can you plant them right after the flowers die?
Our sources suggest that it's
Our sources suggest that it's best to dry them first, Betty. Good luck—
We have bugs that look like
We have bugs that look like large Ticks eating only the white Petunias (also white Roses)? We are in the Central Valley in California. Can you tell me, are these Ticks or something else? They eat the entire white flowers.
It probably isn't a tick.
It probably isn't a tick. We're guessing some type of beetle. Google "jumping flea beetle" and "Japanese Beetle." It may be the latter as the Japanese Beetle loves roses. You can manage the flea beetle with organic insecticides. The Japanese beetle has to be caught early before they emerge and then handpicked and dropped in soapy water; they are difficult to manage once the plant is infested. Healthy plants that are growing in a clean, healthy soil appear to be less attractive to them.
Those are June Bugs! I used
Those are June Bugs! I used to live in the Central Valley too and they would eat my Mexican Primroses! They are a pain.
I am a retiree and live in
I am a retiree and live in Lahore Pakistan.I have a small garden at home and spend most of my time in growing various flowers specially annuals. This year I have full bloom of Petunias, looking beautiful. Most of the time I bought Seedlings from my local nursery but this year I managed to collect seeds from my own Petunias. All I want to know is when can I sow these seeds and a proper procedure to follow? Please keep in mind I am a beginner in gardening. Thanks.
Welcome, Aslam! A true
Welcome, Aslam!
A true beginner would go buy more seedlings; you are an advanced beginner!
Collect and dry the seeds. Spread them widely on a container of damp potting soil (very light material) or sphaghum moss. Mist water on them in a fine spray, then press them gently into the medium. Cover the container with clear plastic and put it in a warm (70 to 85°F), bright (not direct sunlight) place for 7 to 10 days, or until the seeds sprout. Remove the covering and place the container in a slightly cooler, still bright place. Ideally, if you have it, the best place is 4 to 6 inches below a florescent light, with the light on for 16 to 18 hours per day. When the plants develop true leaves, transplant them into seedling trays and fertilize every two weeks with a dliuted mixture. Harden them off by putting them outside on warm, sunny days.
We hope this helps. Let us know how you do!
Many thanks for your
Many thanks for your advise.Today I have officially planted the seeds in a plastic container, completely following your instructions,and have placed the container inside in a bright place after covering it with clear plastic. Now the question is how should I water it. A friend of mine told me to water it a little on every second day. Please advise before I mess it up.
Thanks in advance.
I'm going to be re-planting
I'm going to be re-planting the bed with new petunias, but wanted to check whether the dead-looking sticks (all that remains above ground from last summer), will come back to life and flower again this year... I know they are meant to be annuals so is this what they normally look like after their one season. Can I safely remove them and plant anew?
The petunias have died. Pull
The petunias have died. Pull them out and prepare your beds. Amend the soil by digging in compost a 1- to 2-inch layer of compost. Plant them outdoors once the weather and soil have warmed up, about the time you plant impatiens or peppers.
I am teaching high school
I am teaching high school botany and for a class project, we are using varying environments to grow petunias to see the effect. In order to preserve the experiment, I need a controlled environment. I have everything the same, UV light, temperature, etc, but I cannot find an exact measurement for water. All the sites say to touch the soil to see if its dry. I need something a little more exact to preserve our controlled environment. Do you have a suggested amount or frequency we can use?
one simple solution can be 1.
one simple solution can be
1. weigh a few spoonfuls of the soil as it is, let it be w1
2. heat the soil, an oven can do the job, to lose the moisture.
3. weigh the soil again, let it be w2
difference in the two weights, w1-w2, will be the weight of water per w2 weight of soil,
it is difficult to lose all the water from the soil and some may still remain attached to the soil even after
lots of heating. But it is likely to be very little for most of the soils which are fit for cultivation and one can ignore that.
one can go for very refined measurements also,
with best regards
Rajesh
I live in Southern Australia
I live in Southern Australia in a temperate climate. I planted petunia seedlings in late summer (that's mid February here). Do you think they will keep flowering into mid fall (April) when I want a nice display?
I have just bought new pink
I have just bought new pink petunia with white lines on it, after few blooms the color of flowers have changed to purple and white. My purple petunia do not touch pink ones.
I live in India, with max temp currently 27 C and min around 11 C
Fresh leaves of some of my
Fresh leaves of some of my potted petunias are turning out to be yellowish and the plant does not grow after that. Even the flowers in these yellowish parts are very small and look sickly. The plant just stays the same, no growth, nothing, after this yellowness happens.
The drainage is good, they get about 6-8 hours of sunlight, other nearby petunias, potted and cared for in the same way are doing well. Somebody has suggested putting some vinegar to make the soil acidic. Please help,
I have noticed this problem in the last few years only in Delhi, India. Now i see the same in other people's
petunias also.
Petunias are heavy feeders
Petunias are heavy feeders and grow best with a soil pH between 5.5 and 5.8. With a higher soil pH, petunias begin to suffer from iron deficiency. Try fertilizing with a fertilizer rich in iron.
thanks, will try rajesh
thanks, will try
rajesh
Our petunia looks like it's
Our petunia looks like it's wilting and it does look a bit fresher after it's watered, but doesn't improve much. I'm not sure what's going wrong.
Is you petunia outdoors? The
Is you petunia outdoors? The plant doesn't get as much sunlight in the winter months so if possible move it to a spot where it gets maximum sun. Give the petunia some fertilizer and remove all spent blossoms.
I live in Zimbabwe and want
I live in Zimbabwe and want to take cuttings off my hybrid petunias. Can you tell me what photoperiod can help? Our natural day-length is 10-14 hours and we get very hot and sunny most of the year, aye, Ian
Aye, Ian! Our sources suggest
Aye, Ian!
Our sources suggest that petunia are long-day plant that flower under any photoperiod. Short periods delay flowering and tends to result in "stretched" plants. See comments (answers above) for growing under florescent lights. Consider, too, night temps of 60°F to 63°F and daytime temps of 70°F to 75°F. Good luck with this—and thanks for asking from so far!
Can I plant petunias in the
Can I plant petunias in the same soil as year before and do petunias have an influence on other plants in the same pot or floor bed?
It's fine to plant petunias
It's fine to plant petunias in the same soil next year. Just add some well-rotted manure or compost before planting.
Petunias are great in the vegetable garden. They repel aphids, asparagus beetles, leafhoppers and tomato worms. Some plants that thrive with petunias as companions are basil, beans, tomatoes, corn and peppers. Roses and petunias also grow well together.
Can I transplant my petunias
Can I transplant my petunias from my outside containers into new ones in the house for the winter. I live in Ohio my petunias are thriving and I don't want them to die. So I thought if I repotted them in a good mixture of soil and fertilizer keep them warm and loved that I may keep them growing all year. Do you think that's possible?
Hi Karen, Petunias can
Hi Karen,
Petunias can overwinter indoors but you need to give them lots of light (a south-facing sunny window may work) and add some humidity to the indoor air. Put gravel in a plastic tray and add water. Then place your pots on the gravel. The petunias may still get leggy and stop blooming. You can also take some cuttings from the mother plant and start these indoors. Good luck!
do these flowers come back
do these flowers come back everyyear?
Most people grow petunias as
Most people grow petunias as annuals so they grow just once a season.
In terms of "true" annuals versus tender perennials: True annuals germinate, flower, set seeds and die during one season regardless of which zone they are in (e.g, marigolds are true annuals). Many bedding plants that are sold as annuals are actually tender perennials and will grow as perennials in warmer climates.
Petunias are sometimes also called "hardy annuals".
Actually, petunias are
Actually, petunias are classified as tender perennials grown as annuals. In a mild climate, they will over-winter.
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